Laurel was still staring at the reward panel when another notification surfaced quietly before her.
[System Notice: Detected Grade C herbs in host possession.]
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "What now?" she muttered.
[Would the host like to sell the harvested plants?]
Laurel did not even hesitate. "No."
She had planted those herbs for a reason. And besides Chris was lying on a hospital bed struggling to breathe, and the thought of selling sothing that could save him felt absurd.
A brief silence followed before the panel flickered again.
[Urgent Trade Request Detected.]
[AClient from interdinsional space requires Grade C dicinal herbs.]
[Offer: Five tis the base value.]
Laurel’s brows drew together.
"Five tis?"
The numbers appeared imdiately on the screen.
[Dan Shen Root: Base price 200 points and 10 coins.
Trade Value: 1000 points and 50 coins per root.]
[Shi Hu Stem: Base price 250 points and 15 coins.
Trade Value: 1250 points and 75 coins per stem.]
Even Laurel, who had grown used to the system’s strange behavior, could not hide the surprise that crossed her face.
Still, her expression hardened. "No. I said I’m not selling."
She turned as if to walk away, but the system spoke again.
[New Ability Unlocked: Trade.]
Laurel paused. "Trade?"
[Hosts may now exchange goods through barter or value-based transactions.]
[Trades may include rare tools, lost technology, skill manuals, environntal upgrades, and restricted knowledge.]
Her heartbeat quickened slightly hearing the system’s words.
"What exactly is the client offering?"
For a second, the screen dimd before another panel surfaced.
[Trade Offer Includes: Portable Atmospheric Stabilizer for 10 Dan Shen and 10 Shi Hu.]
Laurel blinked in confusion. "What is that?"
[Portable Atmospheric Stabilizer: A compact device capable of regulating temperature, humidity, and airborne irritants within a twenty-ter radius.
Effective against toxic heat waves, excessive moisture, and unstable air composition.]
She thought of Chris. If humidity could worsen his breathing, then controlling the air around him would reduce the strain on his lungs. It was not a cure, but it was the solution she could think of.
However, she wasn’t sure if Ling Xuan would let them exchange it, though the portable atmospheric stabilizer could be more useful in the future.
Inside her mind, Ling Xuan’s calm voice surfaced.
"Take the deal."
Laurel hesitated. "Are you sure?"
"Yes," Ling Xuan replied evenly. "You are not being asked to surrender everything. Keep enough for treatnt and secure the rest as a future advantage."
Laurel fell silent. Ling Xuan continued, her tone remained calm.
"Our fortress needs tools if we are going to survive in the apocalypse, and tools that control the environnt are worth more than coins sitting idle."
Laurel exhaled slowly.
"Okay," Laurel finally said.
[Trade Accepted.]
The air before her shimred faintly, and a small tallic cube materialized inside a padded container. It was the size of a lunch box, its surface was smooth and silver, with thin blue lines running across it like veins of light.
Laurel lifted it carefully, it was surprisingly light.
[Activate by pressing the center panel. The device will automatically regulate the surrounding atmospheric imbalance.]
A faint relief settled inside her chest.
The remaining herbs were too valuable to leave exposed, so Laurel secured her helt and gloves again before transferring the untouched Dan Shen roots and Shi Hu stems into her space. The mont they vanished, she felt an assurance knowing they were safe from contamination, or environntal damage.
She climbed onto the tractor and drove back toward the dical sector, her grip steady though her thoughts were moving quickly ahead to the treatnt process.
When she entered the building, she removed the protective gear in one swift motion and headed straight for the preparation room. The scent of antiseptic herbs lingered faintly in the air.
She placed a Dan Shen root on the clean steel table and washed it thoroughly, letting cool purified water run across the reddish surface while her fingers brushed away every trace of soil. Cleanliness mattered as any impurity could alter the potency.
After drying it carefully, she sliced the root into thin sections. The interior revealed a deeper crimson shade, rich with dicinal compounds.
She retrieved a ceramic pot and filled it with asured water before adding the slices. The fla beneath the pot remained low, allowing the extraction to happen slowly rather than violently. After all, good dicine demanded more patience.
As the water heated, the room gradually filled with a faint earthy aroma that carried a subtle bitterness.
Laurel watched the simring liquid without blinking.
Her mind stared at the clock, if it didn’t boil for the required ti, the essence would remain inside the fibers. And left for too long, the compounds would begin to degrade.
When the color deepened into a translucent red, she finally removed it from the heat and strained the liquid into a glass container, discarding the softened fibers.
She waited until it cooled enough to spoon-feed him.
Only then did she return to Chris’s bedside.
The doctor stepped aside the mont he saw her.
"You found sothing?"
"Yes."
She slid one arm beneath Chris’s shoulders and lifted him slightly. His skin still looked pale, but his breathing was more stable than before.
"Chris," she said gently.
His eyelids moved faintly.
"You need to drink this."
He did not speak, which alone told her how exhausted he was.
She tilted the cup carefully, allowing small amounts to pass his lips so he would not choke. So color returned to his face as the warmth traveled through him.
Dan Shen would not act like magic, but it would ease circulation, reduce the pressure in his chest, and support his heart.
After he finished, she adjusted his position so he rested at a slight incline.
When no one was watching, she secretly reached into her space and retrieved the Portable Atmospheric Stabilizer.
Pressing the center panel, she placed it beside the bed.
A soft hum followed.
Within seconds, the heaviness in the air began to fade, replaced by a balanced coolness that made breathing feel easier even to her.
Chris’s shoulders loosened almost imdiately.
Laurel watched him for several long monts before finally letting out a breath she had been holding.
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